This specification relates to structural designs for additive manufacturing, such as lattice structures created using three dimensional (3D) modeling programs for use with additive manufacturing or other manufacturing techniques.
Computer-aided design (CAD) software has been developed and used to generate 3D representations of objects. Such software has also included software tools that can be used to enhance 3D parts using lattices and skins of various sizes, thicknesses and densities. Such tools allow rapid redesign of a 3D part to be lighter in weight, while still maintaining desired performance characteristics (e.g., stiffness and flexibility). Such software tools have used lattice topologies of various types (e.g., X, W, Column, etc.) that can be used to generate internal structures that can be built using additive manufacturing, but these topologies are based on 3D grid unit cells and typically do not generate rotationally balanced lattice structures. In addition, such software tools have used Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques to simulate and optimize the performance of the redesigned 3D part.